


The Pirate's Victory

by LadyValkyrie



Series: The Earl, his Countess and the Pirate [2]
Category: Black Sails
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Epistolary, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-07
Updated: 2018-08-07
Packaged: 2019-06-23 07:14:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15601089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyValkyrie/pseuds/LadyValkyrie
Summary: Lieutenant McGraw,An opportunity has arisen for which I think you would be most suited. The son of the 4th Earl of Ashbourne (a Lord Thomas Hamilton) requires a liaison from the Navy to progress a plan to counter the scourge of piracy in the Bahamas. You are to work with him and provide him with advice, and ensure that the Admiralty’s interests are appropriately represented.HennessyIn which the events of 'The Earl's Success' are told from James' point of view.





	1. 1705-06

**Author's Note:**

> Please make sure you read the first part of this series, otherwise this AU probably won't make any sense!
> 
> And of course if there are too many jumps in plot, do let me know and I'll try to fix it!

London 1705

 

Lieutenant McGraw,

 

An opportunity has arisen for which I think you would be most suited. The son of the 4th Earl of Ashbourne (a Lord Thomas Hamilton) requires a liaison from the Navy to progress a plan to counter the scourge of piracy in the Bahamas. You are to work with him and provide him with advice, and ensure that the Admiralty’s interests are appropriately represented.

 

Call on me at my office tomorrow for a full briefing.

 

Hennessy 

 

—

 

Dear James, 

 

I hear that you are to be in London for the next few months, and won’t be returning to sea for the immediate future. Shall I call on you tonight?

 

William

 

—

 

My dear William,

 

Your sources are correct, my friend. I am to be assigned as a liaison to Lord Thomas Hamilton. 

 

But to answer your question, yes I would be delighted if you would visit me tonight (and many more nights to come). I have missed you these past few months.

 

JM

 

—

 

Dear William,

 

I am so sorry over what has transpired, I am sorry that I pushed you away when Hennessy’s adjutant walked in on us.

 

I am sorry that I could only stand by and watch as they hanged you.

 

I am sorry that I am running away now, and the only way I can begin to assuage my guilt is to write to you as I should have done when you were still alive. I hope that you can forgive me from the afterlife

 

JM

 

—

 

Nassau, 1706

 

Dear William,

 

It is done. I have taken my first prize as a pirate captain. I butchered the most of the crew to cement my reputation. I left enough alive to spread stories of my cruelty. My own crew looked on in disgust as I slit the throats of those who had already surrendered. 

 

And later they will look at me as a mad man as I throw this letter over the side to you.

 

My transition to Captain Flint is complete.

 

JF


	2. 1715

Nassau, 1715

 

Captain Vane,

 

I know that fucker Rackham has my gold. 

 

I also know that England will soon re-assert her authority over Nassau, so in the interests of preserving the freedom of this place, I am prepared to meet with you and others to negotiate a truce and strategy going forward.

 

Meet me at the tavern the day after tomorrow.

 

Flint

 

—

 

Dear William,

 

It is almost over. We have been becalmed for weeks, we are starving and oh so thirsty. I imagine that the crew would have thrown me overboard days ago, had any of them the strength to do so. Silver is rallying against me, so I expect it is only a matter of time.

 

I thought I’d died last night. I saw you in my cabin and I went to embrace you, but you disappeared and I realised that it was all just a hallucination.

 

Wait for me my friend. It will not be long til we are reunited.

 

JF

 

—

 

Dear William,

 

My earlier predictions of my demise were proved false. The wind returned and we made landfall on an island inhabited by a community of maroons. Again, I thought I would meet my end there, however I between Silver and myself we were able to negotiate an alliance, and I hope now that we will be able to continue our hold on Nassau. We are now sailing to Teach’s camp to seek his support.

 

The new Governor that was rumoured before the storm and subsequent becalming must have surely arrived by now. I must hope that Teach will see sense and lend his force to my efforts.

 

JF

 

—

 

Dear William,

 

I went to meet the new Governor today. The bastard has successfully thwarted our plans to fight the English off - he’s offered all the pirates pardons, and they capitulated without a shot fired. Months of planning and preparation laid to waste!

 

Hamilton had set himself up on the beach, in a makeshift office. He served me lunch, and I noticed that he had been reading Meditations (it would appear he loves reading as much as I do) and we spoke of our favourite works. I found myself almost offering to loan him my copies of Cervantes.

 

And the worst of it? I find him rather captivating. Thomas Hamilton, now the 5th Earl of Ashbourne, is amusing, bright, very well read and charming. I found myself drawn to him, in a way that I haven’t felt, well, since I first met you William. 

 

He then went to explain his pardon scheme, and plans for Nassau, and I couldn’t stand it any longer. I had to leave, because I feared had I remained a moment more, I would have been swept up in his enchanting nature, and I would forget all the evil England has done to me.

 

And do you want to know the funniest thing, dear William? He was the man with whom I was supposed to work as a liaison back in 1705, fuck, I was supposed to meet with the day after you and I were caught, the day you were taken from me.

 

The gossips back in London said that Lord Thomas Hamilton was mad. He isn’t - he’s eccentric, and far too intelligent for his own good. 

 

He is intoxicating and I cannot shift him from my thoughts.

 

JF


	3. 1715 (II)

Cap’n Flint,

 

I need your help, and Vanes too. Jacks gone got himself captured by the Governors men. Stupid bastard went back to try for a pardon, but that cunt Eleanor has obviously told about the cache, so they took him.

 

Anne Bonny

 

—

 

Dear William,

 

In the absence of a close friend to speak in person, I must continue to write to you, even though I know you aren’t there, not really, no matter how much I might pretend.

 

I met last night with Thomas Hamilton to negotiate the release of that stupid fucker Rackham. I would have been quite happy to let him rot, but his companion, Miss Bonny convinced me he would be useful in the future, and that we pirates must stay united in the face of English rule. Plus I know that Vane is fond of him, and I need his support. (I must be getting soft in my old age).

 

I met Hamilton in the house in the interior - I think I have written before to you about this place, I have delusions that one day I will leave the sea and settle down here and have myself a small farm. While it isn’t far enough that an oar would be mistaken for a shovel, it is quite picturesque.

 

Hamilton came alone, as promised. I had brought my copies of Cervantes with me as he asked, and his face lit up with delight when he noticed them. He immediately invited me to call on him in the Governor’s mansion once his library (and wife presumably) had arrived from England, and I would be most welcome to borrow any books as I saw fit. I couldn’t help but laugh at his enthusiasm, and indeed at his certainty that he would eventually be victorious.

 

We got down to business, and for the first time in a long while, I was completely honest in discussing my intentions. Hamilton was interested to learn of the maroons; he confessed that he was entirely opposed to slavery in any form, and would do his utmost to unofficially undermine the practise. In exchange, we would return the cache, and Rackham would be released. Despite my initial doubts, we reached an agreement. Of course I will take this back to Madi et al and gauge their reactions.

 

But it is what happened next, dear William, that I must confess. We had eaten our meal together, and Thomas did not appear inclined to rush back to Nassau, and was happy to share a bottle of rum with me. We returned to our earlier discussion of Homer.

 

Finally, I could not bear to watch his beautiful face any longer, and I reached over and kissed him. To my absolute joy, he responded, and put a finger to my lips when I tried to apologise. There was small pallet on the floor in which I had intended to spend the night alone, however in short order I found myself pressed back, gasping as Thomas took me in his mouth, and pressed a finger into my arse. Lacking anything with which to lubricate ourselves, we sufficed with pleasuring ourselves in other ways. For an Earl, Thomas is quite adventurous, boarding on depraved, and oh, he is beautiful. And completely unashamed of his lusts.

 

As we lay together afterwards, completely spent, I confessed to him about my past life - about our paths almost crossing a decade ago. Thomas was quite excited to learn of this; he seemed almost mournful that we didn’t have the opportunity to work together, he was quite convinced that he would have been successful in his endeavour far earlier with my assistance. I am quite flattered.

 

I told him of you, and your death. I didn’t tell him that I still write to you, all these years after you departed this earth.

 

He has left now to return to Nassau. I will need to get back to the ship soon, but I’m reluctant to leave this little house. I would give anything to spend another day here with Thomas. 

 

JF

 

—

 

Dear William,

 

I am devastated. Hamilton has betrayed my trust in the most absolute way. This past week has been an absolute fucking debacle.

 

I had written to him a couple of times to confirm arrangements for the surrender of Rackham for the cache. I had not received any response, and it was only good luck that we heard from Featherstone that that bitch Eleanor was planning on double crossing us and taking possession of the cache.

 

In light of these revelations, we devised a plan to rescue Rackham. We attacked the convoy successfully, and freed him, however Vane’s horse was killed and he was captured before we had a chance to re-group. Rackham, Miss Bonny and I retreated at Vane’s insistence.

 

The news in the following days was dire. Eleanor, presumably seeking revenge for Vane’s murder of her father had him tried and executed within two days. I can only assume that Hamilton endorsed this course of action.

 

We are now retreating to the maroon camp, with a hope of being able to draw the English into battle so we may deal them a significant blow.

 

I am ashamed that I let myself be so blinded by that man.

 

JF

 

—

 

Dear Miss Bonny, Captains Rackham and Teach,

 

Please accept my gratitude and congratulations on your defeat of the English Naval forces. Your efforts helped us win the day. You will note that we managed to defeat Hornigold’s militia and accompanying marines in the hinterland. 

 

The time is now right for us to re-group and plan our attack on Nassau to avenge the death of Charles Vane.

 

The man who bears this letter will guide you back to the maroon camp so that we can strategise further.

 

James Flint

 

—

Dear William,

I am anxious. Hamilton sent word requesting a parley, under a flag of truce. He will be here tomorrow

 

I don’t know whether I want to kill him or kiss him.

 

JF

 

—

 

Dear William,

 

Oh how much things change in the matter of a day.

 

The Governor arrived this morning to meet with our budding resistance group and re-negotiate the terms of the proposal he had originally provided to me. I could barely look at him as he was introduced to the other leaders, and when I eventually met his eyes, he simply smiled and handed me my copies of Cervantes. True to his word, he had read them quickly and seen them returned to me. I couldn’t speak, and just took the books and turned away.

 

I watched as Hamilton explained the events since we had met - his falling ill, Eleanor Guthrie seeing to Vane’s trial and execution and ordering the doomed attack on the camp.

 

I watched as he charmed, cajoled and flattered my compatriots, and put his case - explaining the threat that Spain now posed, persuading them that he had the ability to be their ally.

 

Thomas must have been dazzling to behold when he was in London, speaking in Parliament and negotiating with the rich and powerful; however, he was just a mesmerising here, in a wooden house in the Bahamas, speaking to a fragile alliance of escaped slaves and pirates.

 

Thomas was excused at this point so that we might discuss his proposal and terms in private. Oh, and of course, I think you will know how things went from here - of course, there was some dissent, however the threat of Spain and the promise of a level of protection was too good to pass up. Madi, the shrewd lady she is, insisted that we retain a portion of the cache - small enough for Spain to accept the loss, however enough for the maroons to maintain some security.

 

Once all was agreed, I volunteered to tell Thomas the news. He was asleep in the hut which had been reserved for his use, and I watched him for a moment, marvelling at how handsome he was, and desire stirred in me. I woke him, and told him that we had accepted his terms. He beamed and took my hand.

 

That night, we had a rather enjoyable feast. I watched and laughed as Thomas became increasingly drunk and befriended everyone at the camp. Finally, it became apparent that he had had enough celebrations for the evening and a couple of the crew went to escort him back to his hut. I went ahead and waited for him.

 

He was happy to see me, and well, dear William, we made love that night, and I now find myself quite smitten. In the morning, we woke to quite sore heads (Thomas more so than I!), and we spent a lazy morning together in bed exploring each others bodies. I had a few strange looks from Madi, Silver et al, when they saw me emerge from Thomas’s hut, however to be frank I don’t give a flying fuck what they may think.

 

So now, here I am writing to you from the cabin of the Walrus as we return to Nassau, soon to commence lives as peaceful maritime traders.

 

JF

 

—

 

Dear William,

 

It has been several months my friend, since I last wrote to you.

 

I have settled in well to my post-pirate life, I think. My sea-going adventures are far less exciting, limited to shipping sugar from the plantations, and of course running escaped slaves to the maroon camp.

 

Thomas is, well, Thomas. He has found his authority as Governor, and was praised by London for finally bringing stability to this wild Island. Eleanor Guthrie was sent back to London for trial, and I believe has now been hanged for subverting the Governor’s authority while Thomas was ill.

 

I suspect that Miss Bonny and Rackham continue to take the odd prize, but that is none of my business.

 

Madi and Silver are happy together, I think, and I am glad that Silver has found some peace.

 

I met Miranda, Thomas’s wife. She arrived about two weeks ago with their library from London. Thomas had explained the nature of their relationship, I think fearing that I would be jealous, however that couldn’t be further from my mind. I like Miranda - she is fearless, amusing and, like her husband, is very intelligent and well read.

 

I am at my happiest when I can sit with them both in the evenings, discussing the latest book we have enjoyed. I am also considering leaving the sea behind for good, and establishing myself in my little farm in the interior.

 

I think I have finally found my place in this world, dear William. 

 

I do not think I shall write to you again.

 

JM

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I hope this all made sense - I was really keen to explore the letter writing style again, however I couldn't think of anyone who James would right to other than his deceased lover. Hope this worked sort of!


End file.
